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Why Arsenal could be looking for a centre-back to replace Koscielny

Many Arsenal fans are seemingly worried about the fact that the new Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez has become interested in signing our very own Laurent Koscielny as a replacement for the departing Sergio Ramos. We all agree that Kos has one of very best players for a long time, but as the Frenchman is now 29 years-old you have to admit that a reported price of £21 million is very hard to ignore.

Not long ago we found out that the top German central defender Benedikt Howedes was being targeted by Arsene Wenger, before signing a new contract extension with Schalke, but now perhaps we have found out the real reason why Arsenal are in the market for another centre-back?

Now before everyone jumps down my throat saying that we should keep ALL our best players at whatever the profit, I would have just one thing to say – “Thomas Vermaelen”. Everyone was annoyed that Wenger sold TV5 to Barcelona last summer without getting a replacement, but Le Prof’s decision was vindicated by the fact that Vermaelen didn’t actually get a game for the European Champions until the final month of the season.

Perhaps Wenger was well aware of the extent of the Belgian’s injury, or perhaps not, but the fact is that we banked £10 million – and an old and injured player was removed from our wage bill. This is why I believe that Wenger would certainly consider selling Koscielny this summer. As evidence I would point you towards something our manager said earlier this season, when Koscielny came down with his Achilles injury the second time (in December).

“I have to consider the fact he has an inflamed achilles and nobody can guarantee that will not come back,” Wenger said. “No doctor says to me: ‘It’s over.’ It can come back. Even with complete rest, you need to rest him for two or three months.”

Wenger did rest Koscielny for eight weeks from early October. “But he didn’t rest completely,”

“Because you have to load your achilles and strengthen, it is not a complete rest. To find back the strength in the achilles, you have to load it and work on it.”

“If everybody is fit and available, we don’t need to go on the transfer market,” Wenger continued. “But we have to consider there could be a question mark with Koscielny’s fitness and we have to go out on the transfer market.”

And so he did. Gabriel Paulista arrived in January, but Wenger continued to play Koscielny as often as possible, risking another injury setback. But with an impressive Gabriel now integrated into the team and speaking English, perhaps Wenger believes he can now offload the man he was brought in to replace, and at a very very good price?

Wouldn’t you sell a player that you thought might get a flare up of his ongoing injury at any time?

36 thoughts on “Why Arsenal could be looking for a centre-back to replace Koscielny”

If there are two things I’m more sure about than anything else in football, it’s that Sergio Ramos won’t leave Real Madrid, and Real Madrid won’t sell Sergio Ramos. Pepe’s a whole another story though, so Kosc might be a sought out player anyway.

Don’t think anyone’s tossing their Kos shirt in the bin mate, just having a bit of a debate over a scenario that you’d be daft to rule as impossible.

We approached Howedes if you believe the man. Real and United are “talking”, according to Sky Sources over Ramos. We all rate Kos so to think Madrid would see him as an option is totally understandable.

I think it’s something to be wary of, I would’t like to lose him but if all these speculative pieces come together I can totally see him moving there. I’m as big an Arsenal fan you’ll see but Real Madrid are a level above us and Kos might say to himself ‘Ok last contract, one of the worlds genuine best clubs, on silly money….go on then’.

Be a real big move for him having been plucked from Lorient, to go from them to Arsenal to Real Madrid would give anyone a real sense of achievement in their career and I wouldn’t begrudge him as he’s been fantastic for us. Prefer none of the above happens and we kick on with him, but I wouldn’t say it’s impossible he’ll be turning out for Madrid next season.

I am not sure about others but I am not at all in favor of selling Boss.
Arsenal look different team all toghether when we have Boss at back. He makes BFG look like world class player. Attacking players play freely as they know Boss is there to save,

We are not in financial trouble any more and if Real really wants him then we should think about his importance.

No way Koscielny is going to RM. If they insists then ask them Benzema and Bale or CR7 in return.

A swap with him and Benz may soften the blow, I wager it’s “easier” to find a top class CB than ST…..certainly less expensive. Hope he stays though, be a shame to lose a big player right on the cusp of being in the conversation again.

Don’t think it would set us back, but it’s an unnecessary disruption you’d rather avoid if possible. One thing is for sure, Madrid won’t be getting a ‘good deal’ from any transfer, we’re not a soft touch there anymore and I hope we prove it if needed.

We cant sell the rock of our defense. The only player we may sell from our defense would be Per but i cant see a 20m offer for him anytime soon. Even at 10 mil I would sell Per and replace him with Hummels for 30m. that would be 20m well spent. He is 4 years younger than Per and a better player, At 26 he would have a good 6-7 years ahead of him as top class. Well worth the money IMHO.
Just imagine Cech-Koscielny-Hummels, probably the best centre defensive trio in the world.

If we ended up with bellerin, chambers, hayden, debuchy, mertesacker, Gabriel, hummels, monreal, gibbs to choose from at the back and up front benzema, giroud, walcott, alexis, welbeck, gnabry, chamberlain, and akpom

Would it really be so bad in swapping koscielny with benzema and buying hummels?

That leaves us 13 places in the 25, 3 for the keepers, plus 6 for coquelin, cazorla, wilshire, Ramsey rosicky and ozil.

We then have 3 left for jenkinson, arteta, flamini, wellington, campbell and any new midfield signings to fight over. Personally, I would then sell arteta and flamini, replace them with vidal and schneirderlin then loan out wellington and campbell.

“that a reported price of £21 million is very hard to ignore”
what?
really?
well i think its easy to ignore…he is priceless!!!!
If we are serious about a title this season we cant go around selling top players…we DONT NEEDto anymore!!!
Not selling and buying 3. Thats it.
HANDS OFF KOS!!!!!!!!!!

“Wouldn’t u sell a player you thought might get a flare up of his ongoing injury at anytime”…BS!!!…kos stood with us when we weren’t challenging for honours..could remember bayern came calling during that transfer window…but he rubbished this reports publicly just to stay with us…now we gotta show the same loyalty and faith in him…he is getting injured..yeah!!…but we stand by him no matter what!!…COYG!

Let’s not forget guys we’ve just won 2 trophies in 2 years signing quality players plus the French connection so kos has many reasons to stay , plus he still has a few years on his contract plus we don’t need the money like before . Most importantly of all kos strikes me as very loyal and must surely feel he can achieve what he wants to with us !! I’m not worried

Kos is are #1 defender by far. only because of his age and injury concern would i consider a sell but only if it 10m under what manchest is ready to pay real madrid. I rate kos very highly in the same like as ramos but 30M+ would be great biz for us any day for 29 yr old. Main reason i wouldnt sell is because of kos is in superb form dont know if you can just replace with gabriel and think things are gonna be smooth.

Koscielny was very good for Arsenal last couple of seasons and he could still be good for us next season. But he will clock 30 in Sept., this year which will make his deal to become extendable by only a year when he runs down his current deal as per Arsenal policy for any 30 years old Gunner. It will be sensible for Arsenal to sell him to Real Madrid now for £25m if Real will pay that amount. Arsenal have not obliged Real with any player since they obliged us with Ozil 2 years ago. So, this could be paying back time as Koscielny maybe sold to RM to cement the marketing relationship between us. I am not panicked over this rumour that may come to fruition. And I encourage all Gooners not to get panicked if Kosielny is sold to R Madrid. I believe the Boss knows very well what he is doing as he is trying to move Arsenal forward. Clubs do sell, and buys to better their clubs and we can’t afford to be left behind in this wisdom, can we?

Not even.
Lets stop about the future crap.
We have been “building for the future” for while now and while we all understood, the time is over, debts are paid, the future is NOW. “oooh but Kos will last only two threehears tops..” well I suggest we win the frakin EPL and the freakin UCL in that period time!!!

Stupid question, but why aren’t we in for Ramos if he’s being shopped? He’s an unquestionable improvement over Per. We’ve upgraded at keeper with Cech, so lets do the same at CB. Maybe we won’t be able to find that mythical guaranteed 25+ goal scorer to upgrade at striker, but we’d be stingier giving up goals that we’d end win more games if our current goal production remains the same. The 35-50+ mil pounds we’d spend on a Higuain could buy us Ramos. We’d roll the dice with Giroud/Welbz/Theo and maybe Chuba up front– which some gooners won’t like– but, overall, we’d be much stronger.

“but as the Frenchman is now 29 years-old you have to admit that a reported price of £21 million is very hard to ignore”. Is that a joke! Has the writer been watching any football of late? £21 million is a ridiculous and insulting price for one of the best CB’s in Europe in today’s market.

Ramos is the same age, but not as good, and he’s being bandied around for £40/50 million. David Luiz is one year younger, he is a pathetic excuse for a defender, was consistently poor for Chelsea, had a shocker at the World Cup, yet he still cost PSG £50 million!

Arsenal shouldn’t sell our best players any more, and certainly not for the low prices we kept selling for in the past. If anyone wants Koscielny, then fine…pay £60 million and it’s a deal!

Not too worried about Kos’, I’m sure Wenger has no intention of selling him.

What concerns me more is Cech, WTF is going on? How hard can it be, he wants to come, we want to buy, apparently a fee and personal terms have been agreed, I hope this doesn’t turn into another Higuain situation.

Is Mourinho putting a spanner in the works?

If someone is being awkward about the transfer, just tell them to poke it and move on.

I feel and hooe kos goes nowhere. Secondly not factoring in age 21m? It should be more, 50m for david luiz!! On cech I just feel that the transfer wont be formally announced until Chelsea have a replacement sown up, begovic? After all doesn’t the window not open on the 1st of July? 🙂 you wouldn’t think so when looking at Liverpool! ! They’re on one!!